GOTCHA! You won’t believe how one company unraveled an employee’s ‘flat tire’ absence excuse

Fair warning, this post is more about pettiness than employment law.

Do you have that employee?

Let’s try that again.

We all have that employee. S/he is always missing work because an aunt died, the dog was sick, grandmother died, flat tire, the same aunt died again. You know the one I’m talking about.

Well, last night on Twitter, I saw a story trending about that employee. This time, s/he missed work because of a ‘flat tire.’

A co-worker, it seems, had enough of the missed work shenanigans. So, she posted about it on Twitter.

@sydneyywhitson tweeted: “my coworker called in (yet again) and said she had a nail on her tire that caused her to have a flat. i need everyone to stop what they’re doing and ZOOM IN TO THE NAIL IN THE PICTURE SHE SENT MY BOSS”

(The picture is also at the top of this post).

No, it didn’t take long for the Twitterati to sleuth this out. The image seems photoshopped. But, before giving ‘credit’ to the co-worker’s image manipulation skills, try Googling ‘nail in tire.’

Yep, it’s right there as one of the first hits.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you would post about that employee’s latest absence on Twitter, or that your pettiness knows the same bounds. But at the end of the first full week of 2020, it may be close. So, for your amusement, I suggest that you scroll down through this ‘flat tire’ Twitter thread and have yourself a good laugh. And maybe do a Google search when that employee texts you evidence of her/his absence.

Do you have a similar story about that employee? Email me. I’d love to hear it.